Targeting Sucker

[laszlo]

I know that Sucker are frowned apon within the fishing community. I'm really looking for a reason to go fishing

after ice out as early as possible. I believe their run starts at the very end of March / beginning of April.

 

Questions:

 

Do they hold in slower or faster water?

What to use as bait other then worms?

Will you find them in larger rivers or just smaller tribs?

How many types of Sucker are there to be caught in Southern Ontario?

 

Thanks for the help.

I'm really just in need of a day outside, in the water with mild sunny temps hitting my face.

 

Laz

[bigugli]

Just be mindful that suckers are often holding in the same pools as the trout in the smaller tribs.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

just go steelheading and i'm sure you'll hit a few. when they are thick in the rivers you can get tons in a day just by drifting roe or nymphs.

[asdve23rveavwa]

This is a joke, right???? If not, more power to you, just follow the advice from "the doc"...hook too many of the darn things steelheading!

[Danubian]

Please be aware that if you go in the "black bear county",

chances for a bear encounter are quite high on a stream/river

during the sucker run. In particular, avoid the shallows.

[fishermccann]

At the mouth of all rivers/creeks ( Duffins ,Rouge , Wilmot, Bowmanville) into Lake Ontario. As soon after the rivers are free of ice and are running as you can.

[anders]

some guys around here dip net them in the spring, dont know if thats legal or not, but they can them in Tomatoe juice, and its suppose to be quite tasty when done like that.

 

As for angling them, worms or roe do wonders

[purekgw]

we get tons of them in the grand use some for cut bait for them big kittys

[Paully]

Please be aware that if you go in the "black bear county",

chances for a bear encounter are quite high on a stream/river

during the sucker run. In particular, avoid the shallows.

 

 

... I dont think he'll be encountering any bears fishing for suckers in Etobicoke.

 

Suckers will form big schools in deep areas of rivers..

Worms and sometimes corn seem to work for me in past years...

They are in most of the eastern tribs, if not all of them.

There are a few different kinds to catch, but all of them are real ugly

Edited February 1, 2010 by Shore_Lunch

[Terry]

I have seen them in dirty slow moving waters of the holland river

slow darker water in the river in Keswick and sitting beside the monster walleye in very fast moving water in the talbot river

they are everywhere, it seems

[JohnF]

We see them in the deeper pools where we hunt smallmouths. They just cruise around in small groups in the slack water. I worry about snagging them when I'm running sub surface baits thru a pool. We have white suckers and redhorse down here.

 

Corn on a hair rig works, but then so does a plain ole worm.

 

JF

[canadadude]

Here's a better idea come down to Niagara and smoke steelies or shore cast for Brownies

[The Urban Fisherman]

I used to catch them in big numbers on the lower stretches of the credit river while steelheading.... always did much better with the suckers then I did with the steelies! lol They ate everything from pink trout worms, to chunks of shrimp from the grocery store.. I don't think they're picky eaters! haha good times though, good luck with them!

[hendrix]

caught dozens of them in nottawasaga while fishing for sturgeon a few years back, only used worms

[CLofchik]

I'm really just in need of a day outside, in the water with mild sunny temps hitting my face.

 

Laz

 

Carp, Lake O pike, big cats...that's why I go after those species.

[Rizzo]

all kinds in the humber. They'll hang out in the deeper pools before making a run through shallower water

[gbaysteel]

caught dozens of them in nottawasaga while fishing for sturgeon a few years back, only used worms

Too bad we wont be doing that anymore. Targeting them in the notty is now illegal.

[MuskyGreenHorn]

White Suckers start their runs after the rainbows, but of course their is plenty of overlap, they will still be hanging around after the majority of trout have left to go back to the lake. After their spawn they will disappear from trout streams and you will only see smaller ones. Any of the larger rivers in southern Ontario will have resident populations of larger ones. Rivers like the thames and grand have populations of various redhorse, including black, silver, golden and greater. I have hooked greater while carp and smallmouth fishing on the grand. They get quite big and run hard just like carp. Lake Erie has lots of Redhorse in it as well. Your best bet is to fish deep slack water in a river. Be quit and patient, much like carp they are easily disturbed and chumming with corn or whatever you think up can help draw them into an area and get them into a feeding mood. i am not sure what the regs are on redhorse because many species are actually endangered, so if you target them you may want to check it out. I only ever caught them incidentally while fishing for other species as I already mentioned.